Filing system



Nov. 13, 19 23; 1,474,196

I J. M. LEAHY v A FILING SYSTEM- Filed Aug, 24. 1921llIII]IIIllllllllmlllIllIllllIll]llllllllllflllllllllll! 13 calm/7 12Deaths 7 "(.71

J1 Injury to 9 10 N 5 Z 1/ I e Deaths 9 In /@1170];

53.24 intestines.

inn 4 $50272 If Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

JOSEPHINE M. LEAHY, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS.

FILING SYSTEM.

Application filed August 24,,1921. Serial No. 495,045.

of the body may be positively traced, their peculiar phases observed andcompared,and phenomena noted, the efficiency of the system increasing inaccordance to the degree to which it is, extended.

A novel feature of the invention, resides in the provision of packs ofindex cards or guides, each constituting collectively a unit,

intended to contain the records of diseases included in one section of asectionalized classification list of diseases, arranged according tocurrent nomenclature, each section being devoted to diseases whichattack a particular part of the body, each unit being divided intogroups or divisions, and each division having a definite identifyingcolor, to thereby convey to one familiar with the system, thatinformation of a certain character will always be found under thatcolor, and all the colors in all units being always arranged in the samerelative order.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in each unitof the system, whereby to simultaneously locate, by means of a blackline carried by a mortality card, the border of each division and thetotal resulting deaths caused by the disease recorded therein, so thatone familiar with the signification of the color of that particulardivision (which for example may designate Complication under Section 24,entitled Intestines of the classified list mentioned in the foregoing)may readily ascertain, without handling all the complication cards, thenumber of deaths due to complications.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a. system of the classdescribed, supplemental white index cards for each division, adapted tobe inserted as occasion requires, each white card bearing anidentification mark of the same color as that'of' the division'intowhich it is intended tojbe inserted, so that the cards may be withdrawnand indiscriminately mixed, and still be easily replaced in theirrespective divisions. 1

A still further object of the invention is to provide a filing system ofe class described, whereby not only the number alone of similar diseasesand their behavior may be recorded for comparison, from widely separatedinstitutions, but whereby special conditions and unexpected results maybe recorded to note their average frequency, and association of onecondition with another.

Other-objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed outthroughout the specification, the preferred form of the invention beingshown in the accompanying drawings of which: i e

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pack of index cards, embodying theinvention, two section leader cards being shown, the cards between samerepresenting .a complete section, the divisions thereof being indicatedby the heavy transverse lines.

Figure 2 is a. diagrammatic view, showing the upper long edge of thecards and the inscribed titles thereon, the cards collectivelyconstituting a complete section covering diseases of the intestines.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view, crosshatched to indicate the severaldivision colors, thereby illustrating how the divi- ,under identical andvarying conditions.

It is a matter of great difficulty to asoer-, tain how many cases of acertain disease had been treated, say, for a period of months, in evenwell-known hospitals, how many of these acted as a complication, howmany cases primary of the disease developed complication, and under whatcircumstances and conditions- Torcollect reliable information alongthese lines, applicant has found that even in the better regulatedhospitals the individual charts of the thousands of patients being"treated in these 'institutions are solely relied upon to glean anydetail knowledge in the interest of health preservation or restoration,

According to the nomenclature of one hospital diseases .havebeenclassified, one

classification; having forty-o1ie sections, beginning: with: ISection 1. General diseases:

, Anf ective.

EGei1eral injuries.

S'ec'tiOnQ; Diseases due to animal parasites; Section 3; Diseases I dueto metabolism v Sle'c'tion k Diseases peculiar to infancy.

Sectiono. Diseasesdue to physical agents.

HAppendicitis, subacute, and soon, to the forty-first entitled Illdefined or'unclassifiedy' Obviously, it would require an enormousexpenditure of time 'and'energy, to gather data on all the dis-- easesincluded in these forty-one sections, by

having recourse only tothe individuahpatient charts ordinarilyconstituting the only source from which information may be had; It isanob'ject of the invention to provide a system, whereby to collect datafor research purposes representing the experiences of many hospitalscovering a wide territory,- so that the. findings wilhrepresent awtairaverage.

Referringto the drawings, 1 and'2'desi 2; nate leaderf ,Q ui'des'bearingthe title of the section and appropriate data, as Section 24, Intestinesas shown; Following-the leader -giiiidel, the section mortality guide 3,upon which it is intendedto record the total number of deaths caused bydiseasesTof the intestines.- Following the mortality guide are the.disease guides, of whichtwo numbered 4 'and""5are'shown, and'which maybe on guide .5.

termed sub-guides. The disease guides carry the namesof the diseasescommon to the intestines, such as appendicitis the title of guide a andIntestinal obstruction Accompanying each disease guide,is amortalityguide 6, upon which it is intended to record the number ofdeaths caused by the disease. Following the mortality guide, arecrtheerindividual patient cards 7, preferably identified by number as Case No.1 by which it will be known in the "hospital. The cards 7, are intendedto carry data'relating to the patient usually kept-in hospital records,the data consisting ordinarily of the name of the patient, place of Iresidence, nationality, age, and supposed ailment. Following the casecards, are the supplementary guides 8 01 18, of which two kinds only areshown, one under the caption o1t Appendicitis'and the'other underPernumber "18. The supplementary cards contain inpartsuch'data from thecards 7 as=is considered 'essentiaLt-he cards S-being filed subsequentlyfrom time to time containing new importantdata which has subsequently;

developed, the cards 8 thuswtorming across index-.1

Sometimes the cards 7 disclose that a number ofpatients reside in thesame locality, which, in research'work, is significant in thatcaus'es'of diseases may be traced to either insanitary conditions orcontagion. This would be considered sufiicie'ntly important data to berecorded on the supplementary cards.

Thus, all diseases common-to the intestmesf may be recorded, each ofSllClTdlSGZLSGS being separately recorded in one division, as foreXamplethe diseases Appendicitis 1 and intestinal obstruct on are hererecorded in the two divisions represented bythe gu'ides 4 56-''7- andA11 o-i the"mortal-ity ,cards have preferably a black border or edge 19,which-will show when the-cards are stacked on edge, asin -a drawer,wherebythedzivisions throughout-the section are plainly'discernible.

'ito'n-itisf th'e latter bein'gdesignated by the Further, all the cards(exceptingthe sup-- plementary cards of each division correspondin gtothe cards 8101118), constituting divisions and hea dedby sub guides-and idesignatin z diseases common to the intestines, arepreferablybodilyof a definite color such as bufl,said color to"serve as a symbol*throuQhoutall sections of the system whereby o'n'e'familiar with samewill knowthat all bu'ff cards have reference to eases.

Follo'wingthe bu'if division, is'the sub- 'inai-n dis- Y guide} card 10,hearing the title Injury to,

after which follows the mortality card 11, and the'case card 12; To'render the Injury to division plainly discernible these guides whichstandsio'r injury to the intestines? are preferably green. Followingthis division is the division headed by the sub-guide 13 entitledSecondary existing condition, having its death card 14, colored'canarybut having no cases recorded. The following division covers Complicationand has subguide 15 and a death guide 16 followed by the disease card17, entitled Peritonitis and by the supplementary white card 18 entitleComplication. This supplementary card 18 is filed in this division toindicate that one of the appendicitis cases subsequently developedperitonitis, it being noted that the corresponding card 8 (which hasbuff diagonal lines on a white ground) in the buff section is blank,thus indicating that no important developments worth recording asspecial data have taken place in cases N0. 1 and No. 2 filed in thatsection. Thus it is a simple proceeding to readily ascertain how manycases acted as complication, and what other diseases the complicationinvolved, and what other diseases were developed as the main diseaseprogressed.

Incidentally, it is intended to record observations of unusual behavioron the supplementary cards such as 8 or 18, so that if the supplementarycards of the Intestines section, for instance, of my improved system,were collected from many hospitals, they could be conveniently comparedand studied by the student and finally returned to the respectiveinstitutions.

In order that the supplementary cards may be readily returned to theirproper division, each card bears, preferably, an identification mark,such as diagonal stripes 19, of the color of the division to which thecard belongs. It is, also, to be impressed with the date and year, sothat data, may be compared as to periods of time by the student.

Following Complication come the three divisions Chief operation,Secondary operation, and Operation for complication numbered 20-21 and22, and colored red,

vpurple and pink respectively. A mortality card 23, intended for thethree divisions is provided. lVhile no supplementary card is shown ineither of these divisions, it is to be understood, that such cards areintended to be used in all divisions as occasion may require. Thus,operations may disclose major adhesions, gall stones, tumors and thelike, all of which may be briefly recorded on supplementary cards in amanner to identify each operation, with the proper case number recordedin the buff division. An autopsy card 24: is the last card in the section and is intended to receive such notes concerning findings as arethought sufiicieutly important to record.

In Figure 3 of the drawings, the several divisions are suitablycross-hatched, to show, in a manner, how the colors offset each other,

so that one familiar with the system may go directly to the divisioncontaining the formation sought. The stripes of the supplementary cardsarealso indicated on the edges thereof to facilitate finding them whenin search of supplementary information.

In Figure 4 is shown a supplementary card containing information, andFigure 5 illustrates a section of the classified index file, showing'Sec. 21, Tongue and six subguides cards giving preliminary informa tionas to what are the subjects of record. in the filing system.

In the classification file, which may be a separate drawer if desired,the leader card 25 is preferably yellow in color as indicated, and allthe sub-guides 27 and 31 inclusive, are lavender, so that the sectiontitle may be readily found. The sub-guide 26 entitled 1. A recordkeeping system for use in.

hospitals, said system being coordinated to a classified group of titlesrelating to diseases common to certain parts of the body, said systemcomprising. a plurality of sections of record-holding cards, eachsection including record-bearing cards 7, and rec ord-bearing crossindex cards, said cross index cards being divided into groups, saidgroups being located in accordance with the progressive steps of thedisease designated by its title, and with associated conditionssubsequently developing, and being rendered distinguishable from othercards by having identifying marks thereon, the record carried by saidcross index cards differentiating from the record carried by the cards7, in that it relates only to subject matter covered by one of saidtitles, whereby unusual behavior and phenomena developed by the diseasesrepresented by said titles may be tying that the pack containsinformation.

having sub-guide cards, including a leader sub-guide bearing the titleof the subject matter recorded in the group, and a mortality cardbearing the-record of death's caused by conditions forming-partof vsaidsubject matter.

3. A record-keeping system .foi recording the progressive stages ofmedical and surgical cases, andassociated conditionsand ultimate result,comprising aplurality of unitary packs of cards, each packahavinga maincard bearing the-title signifyingithat the pack containsrecordsrelatingto. dis-- eases which commonly attack a; certain part ofthe body, each pack being divided into groups, and each group beingadapted to re ceive data cards relating to a special condition, andhaving .sub+guide cards including a mortality card for-recording thedeathsresulting from the condition recordedrtherein and a sub-guide cardfor recording the sum of the deaths'of all theigroups.

LA filing systemifor; recording the progressivestagesof a diseaseandfiling sup;- plementary matter, comprising sections of index cards,each-section devoted tcidi-seascs common to aparticular partofthe-body,

and being divided into divisions, each division being intendedforrecording information gleaned from a particular.part'of'the regularcourse'ot a disease, andsaid d1v1 sioirhaving guide cardswith lnscribedtitles designating the nature of saidinformation including a deathcardinieachidivision having a black border positioned so, as to form theouter border of its respective division.- 7

In testimony whereof I -affix=my signature.

JOSEPHINE Mj. LEAHY

